Our Aircraft’s History

Aero Vodochody L-29 “Delfin”/”Mayo” (S/N 892-828; Fleet #2828) ~ Only a little bit is known of this Czech built jet trainer, made for the WARSAW Pact nations during the 1960’s to early 70’s. She was nicknamed the “Delfin” (Czech for “dolphin”) back home but had the name “Mayo” in the NATO alliance.

This Delfín was built at the Aero Vodochody Aerospace facility in the Czech Republic and assigned to the Pardubica Airbase in Pardubice, Czechhoslovakia in 1968.

  • April 1997 – Registered to Skyway Regional, Inc., Ellicaott City, Maryland on April 10
  • October 2002 – Registered to the Boneyard Aviation Museum, Rye, New Hampshire on October 21 as N29SV

MAPS Air Museum acquired the “Mayo” on June 10, 2014 and is maintained by Crew Chief Dave Sanders.

Specifications/Performance

  • Role: jet trainer/light attack
  • Country of origin: Czechoslovakia
  • Manufacturer: Aero Vodochody
  • First flight: April 5, 1959
  • Introduction: 1961
  • Produced: 1963-1974
  • Built: 3,665
  • Crew: 2 (pilot, trainer)
  • Length: 35 ft 6 in
  • Wingspan: 33 ft 9 in
  • Height: 10 ft 3 in
  • Empty weight: 5,027 lb
  • Max takeoff weight 7,231 lb
  • Engine: 1 x Motorlet M-701c 50 turbojet, 1,960 lbf
  • Max speed: 407 mph at 16,400 ft
  • Range: 556 mi (w/external tanks); endurance: 2 hr 30 min
  • Service ceiling: 36,000 ft

Armament, notable

  • Guns: 2 x 7.62 mm machine gun
  • Rockets: 8 x air-to-ground 
  • Bombs: 2 x 220 lb bombs

Museum display notes: displayed with the Eastern Bloc Czechoslovak Air Force Roundel from her service days of late 1960’s and into the 70’s

Designed to replace: Soviet Union solicited jet replacement for their piston trainers, like the Yakovlev Yak-11 “Moose” and the Yahovlev Yak-18 “Max” 

Replaced by: Aero Vodochody L-39 “Albatross”